Toyota's Enthusiast-Driven Vision: A New Mid-Engine Sports Car Confirmed, But When?
'The Chairman is determined to continue manufacturing internal combustion engines.' This bold statement from Toyota Gazoo Racing president Tomoya Takahashi signals a significant shift in the automotive landscape. But it's not just about the engines; it's about the experience. And this is the part most people miss...
After months of speculation, Takahashi has officially confirmed that a new mid-engine sports car is coming to the Toyota lineup. However, don't get your financing ready just yet. The production version is still a long way off, according to Takahashi. The car is in the first of four engineering stages, a process that usually takes around four to five years.
The new sports car will pick up where the MR2 left off and head to production in the coming years. Better yet, Toyota said it is even race-testing its prototype models. The exec said Toyota is specifically developing the engine to meet more stringent emissions regulations, such as impending Euro 7 guidelines, without the need for electrification; that said, the new powerplant will likely feature hybrid technology in the future, as the automaker plans to overhaul its model lineup with the freshly developed engine.
Building vehicles with character has been a central focus of Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda's reign, and this public commitment to bring back a proper mid-ship sports car is further proof of his mission. Other examples of this enthusiast-focused goal include the return of the Lexus LFA, Toyota's newly revealed GR GT, and even a mid-engine GR Yaris M Concept rally car. This fun-to-drive character is personal for Toyoda, too, as he explained how much the mid-engine format means to him at the Tokyo Auto Salon.
Despite this public confirmation of the new mid-engine sports car, Toyota executives declined to specify what shape the model would take. Takahashi explained that the creation of the GR Yaris M Concept and its ability to carry the new 2.0-liter engine was the first step in this packaging process, but that the powertrain will be easy to deploy in 'bigger vehicles.' Either way, official confirmation that Toyota will sell a mid-engine sports car for the first time since 2007 is deeply exciting news, even if we might not see it until 2031.
Emmet White, a New York transplant hailing from the Pacific Northwest, is a car enthusiast who has a passion for anything that goes: cars, bicycles, planes, and motorcycles. After learning to ride at 17, Emmet worked in the motorcycle industry before joining Autoweek in 2022 and Road & Track in 2024. The woes of alternate side parking have kept his fleet moderate, with a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta GLI and a BMW 318i E30 street parked in his Queens community.
